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New to DJing? Then let leading decksmeister john ‘oo’ fleming be your guide to mastering the turntables. This time we look at cueing up and basic beatmixing

Before you can learn to mix two records together, you need to learn the basic art of counting beats and learning the structure of music. In most forms of dance music (house, techno, trance etc) there are four beats to a bar, with a kickdrum on each beat – that’s why they call such styles ‘4/4’ or ‘four to the floor’.

What’s more, the vast majority of dance records are written in eight-bar sequences, with something new happening every eight bars. Sit and listen to your favourite records: absorb how they’re structured, and try and predict what will happen. Learn your records!

For your first mix you should try and find two minimal records with a clear 4/4 beat and without too much else going on. This will give you the chance to practise playing two records together and keeping them in time. Before we do this, though, you need to practice cueing up. You would usually do this through your headphones, but for practising purposes, have both records coming through your speakers (so have the crossfader in the middle).

Play the intro of your first record: you are waiting to find the first beat of the record. This will be the cue point. When you hear it, stop the record by lightly touching the vinyl with your fingertips. Now spin the record back gently so that it takes you back to the first beat/cue point. This will sound weird because you are unnaturally hearing the music being played backwards, but you’ll soon get used to this. Once you find the cue point, practise rocking the record back and forth on the cue point.

Next up you’re going to let go of or ‘drop’ the mix in time with the beat on your outgoing tune. Don’t push the record hard, as this could make it skip. Instead, naturally feel the turntable pulling the record from under your fingers. I usually count four beats then drop the mix – you may find it helps to do the same. So, rock the record back and forth at the cue point, counting 1-2-3… then on the fourth beat, lightly move your fingers in time with the turntable torque and let go. When you’ve mastered this, do the same thing, only playing the ‘new’ record through your headphones while the other record is playing through the sound system. You’ve mastered the ‘drop mix’!

You then need to get the record at the correct speed in order to mix it in smoothly. What you need to do is use the pitch control slider on the right of the deck to get the two records playing in time. With the outgoing tune playing over the soundsystem, drop in the second track in your ’phones (as above) and listen to how the beats of that record sit against the beats of the other. Too fast? Use the pitch control to slow it down! Or of course, to speed it up if it’s too slow.

Keep practising ‘lining up’ those beats until you’re happy that the two records are in time, then drop in the record over the other as before and let them both play at once. You will need to make small adjustments from time to time: you can do this by nudging the speed of the record by touching the platter, twisting the centre pin of the platter or, like me, simply using the pitch control. See what you’re comfortable with. Keep adjusting the pitch small units at a time until you feel the beats matching, and nudge occasionally if the mix starts to slip away. Practice holding those tracks playing in time from start to finish: the more time you put in, the better you will get!

You’re effectively listening to two different things at the same time, which can get very confusing. So, a Fleming tip! When listening to the track in my headphones, I hum it in my head so that it goes with the music that is playing over the sound system. I can instantly tell it’s not in time… try it!

You have now successfully learnt to cue up a record. Now try all the aforementioned but this time actually play the record and practise holding those records playing together. It’s a personal preference if you continue to listen to the cued/incoming record in your headphone to keep it in time, simply listen to the overall sound system or do both! See how you get on and what you feel comfortable doing.

If you’re new to this it’s going to take some time to get your head around all the above, so don’t worry if it doesn’t all come together in the first week!

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John ‘OO’ Fleming is one of the most respected DJs in trance and regularly plays across the globe as well as throughout the UK. He’s also a self-confessed technology nut, an ardent advocate of the ‘digital DJing’ movement and a keen supporter of new DJ talent, having hosted DJ skills seminars at universities and colleges across the country.

John '00' Fleming
Source: I-Dj Mag

yeah...i learned this stuff before. But its a good tip nevertheless